Does A Name Define?
by just giddy
Summary: Katherine ann Bell is sick of her boring and plain jane name and oliver tries to convince her otherwise. i know, i suck at summaries. KBOW oneshot


**Jeez, it's like these one shots are freaking taking over. I know, it's a problem. But I promise I only write them in between chapters for LAAB, so no worries. one shots are great things though, they lemme write stuff that I can't put in stories.**

Katherine Ann Bell. Katie Bell. Katie. Kates. Kat. Bell. and Katesie. I answer to every single one of them and yet every one of them is different. My full name is only used when I'm in trouble or if someone wants to get a point through by middle-naming me. Katie Bell is the name I write on my papers. Katie is what everyone calls me. Kates is a nickname that only the twins call me. The next two are only used by authorities figures: Oliver Alban Wood and professors. And the last one normally results in a dirty look because everyone knows I hate that name.

But what's in a name anyway? Sure, it's who you are, but can a name define you?

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"I've decided that I hate my name," I said, flopping down next to my captain on the couch in the Griffindor common room and putting my feet up on the coffee table in front of me.

My long-time-four-year-friend-and-seventh-year-Quidditch-nazi-captain-for-three-years Oliver Wood looked over to me, diverting his gaze from the book in his lap that he was reading.

Wait.

_READING?_

Oliver Wood does not _read_. Oliver Wood comes up with plays and then runs us into the ground at practice, making sure his brilliance is drilled into our heads.

"Are you _reading_?" I asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow at him. Oliver lifted up his book and showed me the cover. Quidditch Throughout the Ages. "Ah, that explains it…"

"You hate your name-since when?" he asked, choosing to ignore me as he turned back to his book.

"Since I found out this girl has the name Marinabella," I said, "Mine's so…boring."

"How?" he asked, not looking up from his book. "and that's not a nice name by the way."

"Oh c'mon Ol'," I groaned, "Katherine _Ann _Bell. even my middle name is boring. I'd rather have some random name-or even just a weird middle name. Hell, Ann is even duller than Katie."

"Would you rather have my middle name?"

"Alban? It's not bad. I'd take it-having a boy's middle name is a twist I suppose…" I mused. Katherine Alban Bell-it has a ring to it I guess.

"I still don't see what's wrong with Katherine Ann Bell," Oliver sighed, folding over a page in his book before closing it and looking at me.

"I might as well be called Plain Jane Smith."

"Katie Bell is much nicer than that," he pointed out.

"Maybe I should just get people to call me Emerald or Amber or Topaz or something…" I mumbled, ignoring him.

"Good luck with the prostitute-rock-names," he said as he stood up and kicked my legs down as he walked past me. "Oh, this is yours by the way," he added, dropping the book on my lap.

I opened the cover with a bit of shock and scowled when I saw my boring name in my familiar handwriting. "So _you've _had it for the past year?" I called after him as he crossed the room to his stairs.

"I'm almost done with it!" he defended as he went up to his room.

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"So Aquamarine Topaz, how's things going?"

"Oh shut it, Wood," I snapped as I walked out onto the pitch, ready for practice a week later, as he just stood there in his scarlet robes and smiled crookedly at me.

He knew full well my Name-change plan had not worked out. The only difference I got was non-stop teasing from the Weasley twins, and increase in the use of the name Katesie, and a few 'small' injuries from the pre-mentioned results.

"Aquamarine Topaz?" Angelina repeated confused, hovering a few feet above me and I kicked off. "What the hell…?"

"Don't ask," I said as I caught a pass from Alicia and we started to warm up.

"Ohhhhhhhhh," Alicia said, "Is that from your whole I-have-a-boring-name-and-I-decided-I-don't-like-it-anymore-because-that-girl-is-named-Marinabella-thing?"

"I DO have a boring name though," I pointed out stubbornly.

"No you don't," Angelina disagreed, passing me the Quaffle with more force than was necessary. "I like the name Katie. It's very…corky."

"And you are corky," Alicia added.

"_Corky_?" I repeated, "what the hell does that mean anyway?"

"Cute as a button," Angelina said, "At least it's relatively close to that."

"Oh great," I said sarcastically. "Every 16 year old wants to hear that they are as cute as a button."

"I know," Alicia agreed, not catching the sarcasm that was dripping in my voice, "I wish people thought I was as cute as a button."

I rolled my eyes as Ange just stared at her.

'Lic may be the smartest girl in our year, but god does she have no common sense.

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"Feeling practice already?"

I opened an eye to see Oliver smiled down at me. It was after practice, almost everybody was in the showers or already out the door and I was laying on the bench in the locker room, still clad in my muddy robes. And it didn't help that every bone in my body was screaming at me. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a deep blue sweater and you could see the end of his white tee shirt sticking out underneath the hem.

I just groaned as I closed my eye and put an arm over my face, "I'm too tired to stand up another 15 minutes just to take a shower."

Oliver laughed and he sat down on the bench next to my head, "That bad?"

"That bad," I managed as I sat up too and rested my back against the lockers behind me. "Am I boring person?"

Oliver's brow furrowed at the question, "Why would you even ask that, Kat? You know the answer's no," he said, "You're just fishing for compliments Bell."

"No, I'm not, I promise," I laughed, sitting back up so we were shoulder to shoulder.

"Name thing bugging you again?"

"Oh yeah," I scratched the side of my head, "It's just that, well, I dunno, people know you my your name. That's what you respond to. If I respond to a boring name, does that mean I'm just as boring?"

"Kat," he said, draping an arm around my shoulder, "There is absolutely nothing wrong with the name Katherine Ann Bell. There's even a nice ring to it."

"Oh har har har," I said sarcastically, catching his pun on words with my last name, "Good one Oliver. You slay me."

"I try," he smiled standing up, then grabbed my hand and yanked me up as well, "Now go take a shower."

"Yes,_ captain_," I groaned, spinning my locker combination as Oliver chuckled and pulling out a towel before I dragged my feet towards the shower.

--------------------------------

"It's good."

"Nah," he said shaking his head, it's missing something."

I felt my brows start to know together, trying to figure out what he thought was missing from his latest play. It was two days later and we were in his captains office. After classes none of us could find him and at 9 at night I eventually found him in there, writing like a mad scientist on the chalk board on one of the walls. And he had chalk all over him (he was wearing a Griffindor sweater (that Mrs. Weasley made all of us for Christmas last year) that was scarlet with a gold trim and one large gold band that went around the chest), his arms, his shoulders, it was everywhere-god knows how long that man was in there.

I stared at it from behind him over his chalk-covered shoulder. I looked over every line, every circle and x…and I could not find what was so wrong with it. "Ol'," I sighed, using my nickname for him, "There's nothing wrong with it. How long have you been up here anyway?" I asked, brushing off the chalk on his shoulders.

"No idea," he said, not turning around but taking a step back towards the chalk board and lifting the bunt of chalk in his hand again. "but this is wro-"

"Oliver," I said sternly, stepping in front of him and taking the chalk from his hand, "It's brilliant. Now stop messing around with it or it'll flop."

"Flop?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Yeah," I said, shrugging my shoulders, "You know, you'll mess it up, it won't be as brilliant, it'll bomb- you Quidditch nazi," I smirked as I walked around to the back of his desk and flopped down in his chair and threw my feet up on his desk. "You know what I mean?"

He cocked an eyebrow at me as he walked next to me and bent his head down next to mine. I tried to keep my smirk on as he stared at me with his chocolate brown eyes through the bit of fringe of his even deeper brown hair. "No," he said dryly with a smirk of his own as he snatched the chalk out of my hand and walked back over to his chalk board as I glared at his back.

"Oh, touché," I said softly and dryly.

Oliver laughed before he started scowling at his brilliance.

"I know what it's missing," I said, walking around behind him again.

"No you don't."

"Oh yes I do-o!" I sung in a tone-deaf voice.

"Tell me?" he turned around, his brown eyes pleading.

"Oh please," I said, rolling my eyes and smiling at the same time. "It's missing a name Oliver," he just blinked at me. "You know, what your going to call it. A _name_."

"Why does it need a name?" he asked confused.

"Because everything needs a name," I said simply. "A name defines. You can't go around without something to be referred to. You can't just say 'hey, you! With the brown hair, get over here!' or 'run the play with the lots of loops in it!'. it doesn't work Oliver. It needs a name that's unique to it."

"You really need to get off this name thing you got going on," he said after a pause, taking in what I just said.

I groaned and rolled my eyes before stalking out of his office.

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"I thought about what you said the other day, Kat."

"Oliver," I groaned, "I've got to get to class. Can't this wait for-"

"No," he said, shaking his head.

I looked at my watch between fourth and fifth period where Oliver grabbed my elbow in the hall. I had exactly 2 minutes and 23 to get to the north tower for Divination from the fifth floor where I was now. I could spare 15 seconds…

"Make it quick?"

Oliver nodded before pulling me into a lesser used corridor and now that most everybody was in their class it was completely deserted.

"Oliver, what's going on?" I asked, wondering exactly what the hell he was doing. "I thought tha-"

"Listen," he said grabbing the sides of my arms and putting on I'm-the-captain-damn-it-and-you-have-to-listen-to-me-even-though-I-don't-have-the-right-to-boss-you-off-the-pitch-but-I-will-anyway voice, "I thought about what you said yesterday. About how a name defines?"

"Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaah," I said, nodding slowly with my brow furrow slightly, still having no idea where he was going with this.

"And you're wrong."

"What? No I'm n-"

"Will you just stop being stubborn for one second and listen?" he demanded, his grip on my arms tightening a bit and continued once I nodded-even if it was stubbornly-a bit. "You were right. Everything needs a name. But a name does not define who you are. I mean-if your name is truly boring and plain and stiff then it just proves my point."

I just blinked at him for a second, "Ooooookkkaaaay."

"Kat," he smiled at me lopsidedly, "You are the least boring person I know and you don't need some crazy name like…-like Amber Topaz or some other prostiture-rock/mineral-name to prove that you have a big personality. To me, Katherine Ann Bell doesn't mean boring and plain-to me it's a wonderful fifth year who's always good for a laugh and who'll make you laugh and smile without even trying. She's sarcastic and stubborn and bites her quill whenever it's in her hand-"

"-Hey! I do n-"

"-yes you do," he corrected offhandedly. "she's also a fantastic chaser and great friend who's corky and fun with all her faults and just can't seem to see that and is practically forcing me to tell her I love everything about her."

"Why does the word _corky_ keep coming up?" I said after a pause, letting everything he said sink in. "I honestly think that we are using it in the completely wrong context."

Oliver let out a laugh before he gave me a light kiss as the bell rang. "Oh," he said, blushing as he pulled away, "Better get to class…"

I stood there as he walked away in complete shock. I mean, what the hell was that all about? I mean sure, like every other girl in this freaking castle I had at least one dream fantasy about the man. Every girl-and probably a couple of guys (one being Diggory but you didn't hear that from me…) have. But that was way back in second year when I was a stupid 12 year old who decided four months later that it was stupid since we were on the same team and he would never like me anyway. So I dropped it in exchange for admitting that 'yes, he is pretty damn good looking'. I didn't know he would act on that like four years later! So yes, I was thoroughly shocked.

But after a moment or two my brain luckily checked back in.

"HEY WOOD!" I called, walking briskly after him as he just reached the main corridor and turned around. "What is this? You can't just give me that rant and walk away!" I said, finally catching up to him, "you _at least _have to walk to me to class for that," I smiled as I laced my hand with his and squeezed it three times as he smiled back at me.

**I love you.**

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Well, now I've decided that I do not hate my name. In fact I love it. Sure, it might seem plain next to people named Sapphire or Marinabella but I wouldn't swap mine for the world. And everyday I find that I love it just as much as I love the name Oliver Alban Wood and the man that defines it.

So no, a name does not define you-instead it's the other way around.

**Hmmmmmmmmmm. Yes, I know, another one shot. These things are REALLY fun to write and I think I'm pretty damn proud of them especially considering the fact that they don't end with this random snog scene. Kinda if-y about that last paragraph but I think it's alright. Everything I turn out can't be gold.**


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